Pa. man accused of threatening teen with knife

SEDGWICK, Maine — A Pennsylvania man is facing several charges in connection with an incident Wednesday evening during which he allegedly threatened a teenager with a small knife.

According to Deputy Christopher Sargent of the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department, Lawrence Fowler, 37, of Avella, Pa., who is one of the workers on the Deer Isle-Sedgwick Bridge, threatened the 16-year-old boy at the Eggemoggin Country Store, where the teen works. The store is located on Route 15 not far from the bridge, where workers are repainting the 71-year-old structure and rehabilitating its piers.

Fowler was in the store with other workers when the teenager called him “Lawrence” rather than by his nickname, Larry, which he prefers, according to Sargent. The deputy said the teenager did it in a joking manner, but that Fowler took offense and pulled out a pocketknife.

“He displayed the knife and threatened the boy,” Sargent said. “He said that if he ever called him that again, he would do him harm.”

According to Sargent, Fowler did not touch the boy or attempt to stab him. He then left the store.

The boy, whose name was not released, told co-workers and the store owner, who advised him to contact police.

Deputies found Fowler sleeping in the cab of his truck at a pullout on Route 15 near the bridge. He was arrested and charged with criminal threatening and violation of conditions of release. Fowler was out on bail at the time of the incident, according to Sargent, and also had an active warrant for his arrest from Augusta for failure to appear in court there.

Fowler was taken to the Hancock County Jail where he remained in custody late Thursday afternoon.